Journal #3

1. "Yeah, Matt, dat mule so skinny till de women is usin' his rib bones fuh uh rub-board, and hangin' things out on his hock-bones tuh dry." (52)
-Hyperbole and Imagery

2. "You'se uh stinkin' lie, Sam, and yo' feet ain't mates. Y-y-y-you!"
"Ah-ah-ah- d-d-does feed 'im! Ah g-g-gived 'im uh full cup uh cawn every feedin'." (52)
-An addition of stuttering to show a certain emotion in the character.

3. "But that never halted the mule talk. There would be more stories about how poor the brute was; his age; his evil disposition and his latest caper. Everybody indulged in mule talk. He was next to the Mayor in prominence, and made better talking." (53)
-This shows the reoccurring concept of talking in the community. It is a social event everybody participates in. It is seen in the first scene of the book with Janie walking down the road while the women were talking on the porch. People are able to freely say what they want, criticizing whoever. In chapter six, Matt is the "victim", being made fun of for the mistreatment of his mule. Also, the word prominence is important to the story. The state of being valuable or important is a part of the struggle Janie has to deal with, especially in the marriage with Joe Starks. To Joe, prominence is everything and he thinks he is giving it to Janie by being married to her. In the social context of the book, the struggle for the African Americans can be related to prominence as well.

4. "He wouldn't dig potatoes, and he wouldn't rake hay: He wouldn't take a whipping, and he wouldn't run away." (67)
-Parallel structure/Repetition: "He wouldn't"

5. "So gradually, she pressed her teeth together and learned to hush." (71)
-This is one instance that Janie tries to adapt to the situation she is in, but later ends up unable to stay suppressed. I see other examples of Janie forced to adapt and accept what she is given. As a child, she is forced to live with her grandma and forced to abide to her rules, such as having to marry Logan Killicks. Unhappy in her situation, she tries to force herself to love Logan, but it does not work out and ends up leaving him. This quote shows she is done fighting for being able to express herself. She is forced to stay quiet, wear a head rag, and work in the store. However, she later decides to let it all out in the scene where Joe is in his death bed. Throughout the story, it seems Janie is forced into many situations and she tries to adapt, but in the end, is unable to stay oppressed and ends up doing as she truly pleases.